- Date
- December 20, 2018, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Center, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8487XCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181220022079A
- Case key
- 98932
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during landing in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during the landing flare, a wind gust "lifted the wing up 90 degrees." She then leveled the wings and added full power. When the wings were leveled, the airplane was above a drainage ditch between the runway and parallel taxiway. She realized that the airplane would not gain enough airspeed to "make the [taxiway]," so she intentionally aerodynamically stalled the airplane to "prevent flipping" it. The airplane descended and impacted the drainage ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right and left wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation system reported that the wind was from 310° at 14 knots, gusting to 23 knots. A weather station located about 2 miles southwest of the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 311° at 2.7 mph (about 2 knots), gusting to 12.1 mph (about 11 knots). The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 35.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the landing flare, a wind gust "lifted the up wing 90 degrees." She leveled the wings and added full power. When wings were leveled the airplane was over a drainage ditch between the runway and parallel taxiway. She realized that the airplane would not gain enough airspeed to "make the [taxiway]", so she intentionally aerodynamically stalled the airplane to "prevent flipping the plane." The airplane impacted in the drainage ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right and left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that automated weather observation system (AWOS) reported the wind was 310° at 14 knots, gusting to 23 knots. A weather station, located about 2 miles to the southwest of the accident airport, about the time of the accident reported the wind was from 311° at 2.7 mph, gusting to 12.1 mph. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 35.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8487X
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (C)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17248987
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 45.33
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2018
- Departed
- MPR · Mc Pherson, KS
- Destination
- F17 · Center, TX
- Airport
- F17 · Center Muni, runway 35, 5,501 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 16, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 163.5 total · 163.5 in this make and model · 108.4 as pilot in command · 13.5 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 22 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- KOCH, 32 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 14, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.